Dear Hermione
by Leprechaun123
Summary: A letter can change everything. Will it fix the Malfoys or completely burn the bridge?


_**Story Title:** Dear Hermione_

_**Year:** One_

_**School/Theme:** Hogwarts/Number Four Privet Drive_

_**Prompts:** _

_Quote "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today" [Main] _

_Pairing "Lucius and Narcissa" _

_Emerald Green _

_**Special Rule:** RavenclawDracoHermione AU_

_**W/C:** 1,559 words_

_A/N: Okay, three things: 1) My way of using the quote was by allowing the meaning to dictate the story and not just using it as dialogue, 2) "Cop yourself on" is basically get a grip on yourself. My own language kind of slipped in and I liked it too much to change and finally 3) while my Draco might seem a touch OCC, as he hasn't had the influence of Lucius due to the whole debacle, he's been allowed to grow himself which I think would make him softer. Especially if he had the Hermione influence from first year._

**Dear Hermione**

_Dear Hermione, _

_How are your holidays? Mine are a complete and utter disaster. Similar to every other time I've been home since first year, my father is being a complete arse. Oh dear, not the "a" word! How about jerk? Nincompoop? Hippogriff? Not the man I respected growing up. I can feel the repulsion flowing from him when I'm in the vicinity. I've a feeling that he's still attempting to blame me for Mum. The past seems to have completely taken over him and he's just not able to see me differently! _

_I do know that I told you I would tell him over the Christmas holiday, but I can't. It just won't come out. Every time I go to talk to him, he begins the conversation with "Ah, the disappointing Ravenclaw Malfoy" and I just give him a disdainful look and leave. It's not the most courageous thing to do but it's all I can do. He's already against me for being a Ravenclaw. How will he react to me wanting to be a writer? To me planning to go to Muggle university? Do I want to know? Do I just spurt it out before I head for the train? HELP ME! _

_I CAN'T DO IT! _

_I NEED YOUR BRAIN! _

_HELP! HELP! HELP! _

_Sorry, that was a bit dramatic. In all seriousness, a little bit of advice would be nice. _

_Reply soon, _

_Draco L. Malfoy/D.L. Malfoy/DLM_

_P.S. Choose one for a pen name. I can't decide. _

Draco Malfoy rolled up the piece of parchment and attached it to the leg of the dark owl beside him.

"Bring it to Hermione, Alabaster," he ordered the owl, ruffling the feathers on the top of his head. The eagle owl flew out of the bedroom window, Draco watching until it became a speck in the sky. He sighed as he flopped down on his bed.

The relationship he has with his father was turbulent at best. There always seemed to be a bit of a wall present and Draco hadn't ever been able to find a way past it. I mean, he hadn't ever been in Draco's room, not even when he was a baby. The house elves had looked after him while he was growing up. He moved his head to pick up the picture of his mother on the locker beside his bed. That, Draco suspected, was the reason for his father's iciness.

Draco had never met his mother but he knew that he was her mirror image. Aside from the shock of blond on his head, all his features came from his mother. After she died in childbirth, Draco had a feeling that his father couldn't stand to look at him and be reminded of her. After all… it was his fault.

Smiling slightly as he traced her features, Draco sighed again. He put the frame down again and rolled over on his side. Digging out his book from under his pillow, he settled himself down to read while he waited for Hermione to reply.

* * *

_Don't let yesterday take up too much of today _

_Dear Draco, _

_Cop yourself on! _

_My holidays were fine. Boring. Want to be back in school studying. _

_I like nincompoop. Use that more often! _

_I know he's not what you remember but you need to realise that you're your father's only son. The legacy of Slytherin Malfoys was on your shoulders and by becoming a Ravenclaw, all your father's hopes and dreams were shattered. I'm not justifying him but merely telling you what you already know. _

_Wait a minute! You haven't told him yet? Draco! We return to school in two days and you're not returning for Easter or after graduation. You have to tell him! _

_I know you think he's disappointed in you but you need to see that it's his problem and not yours. Tell him! You might be surprised. He might be happy to not have you in the family business. After all, you'd be the first non-slytherin. Sounds like a quite a leap!_

_Just tell him your plans. That to survive on your own, you need to go to university. You need to build up the skills that Hogwarts won't teach you. That you need… _

Lucius growled, crumpling up the letter in his fist, . That no good, wretched son of his (if he can even be called that) was ruining his plans. First, he was the only Malfoy not to be a Slytherin and now this? What was the company meant to do? It's family owned. At least he's not marrying that mudblood Granger on top of everything else.

Lucius stormed to Draco's room, slamming open the wooden door. Draco jumped at the sudden noise, slipping from his position sitting on his bed, his book landing on the floor followed shortly by his body.

Lucius stood in the doorway, his eyes darting around the room. His memory flooded with images of the small child's room that was originally there.

_Emerald curtains adorning the open bay windows fluttered in the breeze. Standing in the middle of the room was Narcissa, her dark hair flowing around her in the wind. She stood caressing her bump with one hand while she tapped her pouted lips in contemplation with the other. As if sensing his presence, she turned to face him. _

_"Silver on the walls or green?" she asked. _

_"How about one green and three silver?" Lucius replied with a smile on his face, stepping towards his wife. _

_"I like it!" Narcissa spun excitedly waving her wand. Three of the walls turned a shimmering silver with the last one transforming into an emerald wall the colour of the castle in Oz. Attached to the green wall, a slippering shiny silver snake slid across the paint. Narcissa frowned. Something seemed like it wasn't quite right. She waved her wand again. Lucius held his breath as he waited for the change to reveal itself. _

_He waited. _

_And waited. _

_And… nothing. _

_"What did you do?" he asked. Narcissa smiled slightly. _

_"I put a charm on the room. It's linked to his sorting," she grinned. "He's bound to be a Slytherin but if he's not, his room will change on the first of September. Just have to wait and see." _

_"He's a Malfoy. He has no choice but to be a Slytherin…"_

Slowly the memory faded from Lucius's mind. Those silver walls remained but that emerald green wall had changed. It was replaced by a dark blue adorned by a silver eagle, wings stretched out to touch both sides. The large reminder of Draco's failure began to cloud his mind.

"Draco," he growled. The blond head appeared from the other side of the bed.

"Father," Draco responded meekly.

Lucius inhaled deeply, holding up the letter in his tightened fist. He attempted to control his emotions towards the male bearing his wife's features. "We need to talk," he spat out, "and you better have a good explanation."

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion before widening in horror at the sight of the letter. Realisation flooded his eyes when he figured out that it must be Hermione's response. He opened his mouth to explain when Lucius powered through.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. "There's a plan laid out for your life and you have gone out of your way to ruin every aspect of it."

"I haven't…" Draco attempted to explain before Lucius kept talking.

"First with this disgrace of a house and now this? Are you trying to completely diminish all that your mother planned for you? To completely ruin her memory?"

"I never knew her," Draco exploded, "and I can't ruin something that I never knew! You are the one who isn't able to let go of the past. It's been eighteen years and you still can't look at me without disgust. I'm sorry I'm the reason your wife is dead. I'm sorry I'm not the son you expected. I'm sorry I'm a disappointment." Draco paused, breathing deeply. "But… I'm more sorry that you're stuck living in your memories. I'm not going to be like that. I'm not letting the events of the past ruin my future. Mother knew that I'd be different. That's why the charm was put on my room. She would have accepted me."

Lucius stood in silence, staring at the young man in front of him. All that filled the strained air was the laboured breaths of the two men. Lifting his head, Lucius steeled himself against the accusations.

"You never knew your mother, but I did. She was not the person that you think she was. She was better, but even she would be disappointed in you," he said lowly, taking slow steps closer until he stood nose-to-nose to Draco. "You're right. I can't look at you. Not because you remind me of your mother, but because you have just shown that you are no son of mine. No son of mine would have made such a despicable career choice," Lucius held the stony gaze that Draco offered before turning on his heel and walking out of the room. Just as he reached the door, Draco offered one last sentence.

"We both know I've never been a son of yours and in two days, you'll never have to see me again. The past isn't going to control my future"

* * *

_I still war with this but nonetheless, it's out for the world to see. _

_As always, read and review. They perk up every writer's day!_


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